Last Judgment Devo

 March 26th, 2023

Devotional

“Last Judgement” - Matthew 25:31-46

Monday: “Comes in Glory” - Matthew 25: 31-33

Sometimes we can be in such a rush to get to the sheep and the goats part of this parable that we miss the hope that Jesus begins his teaching with. Christ will come again. Christ paints a picture of the Son of Man (ie. Himself - Jesus - the Messiah) coming to reign in all of his glory. He finds himself sitting on the throne that belongs to him alone as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

And all of the nations, every tribe and tongue, will gather around that throne. In Revelation we find John sharing that all of those gathered were praising Christ and singing of his holiness. Even the celestial beings join in. 

It is at that time that the final judgment will take place. In Revelation we find this referred to as the time when Christ will unseal the Book of Life to see whose names are written in it. But here, we find a different account of the judgment - a sorting of the righteous from the unrighteous.

We cannot get to the judgment without first beholding the splendor of Jesus. Let us not move so quickly through this passage that skip allowing our hope to be firmly grounded in the truth that we proclaim every time we celebrate holy communion. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. 

How does Christ’s coming again offer us hope as his disciples?

Prayer: God the Healer, we thank you that you promise in Christ you will heal the brokenness of this world when the final judgement comes. We thank you that your love sustains us until that time and does not let us go. Let our hope be firmly planed in you, and you alone. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Take Your Inheritance” - Matthew 25: 34-39

When we read Scripture we can do so with tunnel vision. We can get so intent on studying a singular piece for its blessing that we forget that the parts are interconnected. Just as this parable’s beginning reminded me of Revelation, Jesus’s call to the sheep to come and take their inheritance takes me back to a different parable found in the Gospel of Luke.

The parable of the prodigal son. 

In that particular story, the youngest son demanded his inheritance early and squandered it away. He wanted what he thought he deserved and he wanted it now.

How different from this parable where the sheep didn’t even know that they had an inheritance coming! As Jesus shares with them that they will be part of this eternal blessing, they are quite frankly confused. Jesus is claiming that they did all of these good works for him, but they do not recollect doing so. 

I wonder about us. Do we find ourselves more like the son in the parable of the prodigal, demanding our inheritance from God, or are we like the sheep in this parable, surprised by the generosity of Christ?

  How would you react if Jesus spoke the words in these verses over you?

Prayer:  Lord, we confess that sometimes we act as if we are ungrateful. Or we begrudgingly serve, but only because of what we think we will earn. Forgive us, O Lord, and reshape our hearts to be like the sheep in this scripture before us, we pray. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Did for the Least” - Matthew 25: 40

  We learn a lot about the righteous from this single verse. The righteous didn’t realize that they were serving Christ. They saw people in need and responded, but did not do it for their own end gain or reward. They probably didn’t even consider themselves to be righteous, yet they responded in a way that reflected their heart. 

How about us? Do our actions reflect our heart? Or are we constantly worried about who will repay us in return. One of the greatest philosophical arguments is around if a person can be truly altruistic - yet, here we see that it is possible! 

Why do you serve others and how do you bring Christ into the midst of your service? 

  Are your heart and mind focused on Christ when you serve? Why or why not?

Prayer: Lord, sometimes we are our own worst enemies. We can get so caught up in what we will gain or how we will be rewarded that we forget what motivates our actions in the first place - your sacrificial love. Teach us to love for your sake, not for ours. Amen. 

Thursday: “When?” - Matthew 25: 41-44

I struggle to believe that anyone would intentionally walk past all of these folks who were in need and not notice or respond. Yet, maybe that is exactly the point Jesus is trying to make. 

When we think too highly of ourselves, we tend to not act with a heart guided by righteousness and humility. Instead, we may even slip into a heart of judgement - does this person deserve my help? Will they really use what I give them as I intend? A fundamental lack of trust can actually lead us to inaction.

John Wesley was known for talking about sins of commission and sins of omission. Commission are those which we commit through our actions. But omission? Those are the sins that come from our inaction.

Here we see what sins of omission look like and receive a challenge to examine our own hearts. 

Tell of a sin of omission in your own life. How are you being invited to repent?

Prayer: Lord, help us to not just avoid the sin that comes forth from our actions. Also, allow our hearts to be so aligned with yours that we cannot help but act to lift high the glory of your name - not leaving your work undone. Amen. 

Friday: “Eternal” - Matthew 25: 45-46

  It’s hard for our human minds to warp around the idea of eternity. I once had a pastor who drew a small dot on a really long line and said that dot represented our lives right here, on earth, today. But the length of the line represented eternity. 

Jesus said that the judgment being rendered is for eternity - that amount of time that is impossible for to comprehend. As difficult as imaging eternity may be, it seems even more difficult to comprehend that what we do today, with this life we have been gifted, has eternal consequences. 

How do you think of eternity and how does it guide your actions?

Prayer: God, we may not be able to fully understand everything, but you have gifted us to understand some things. Reveal to us more about the power and length of eternity in a way that guides our steps in the present. Amen.